aSSIST Doctoral Programs Grind to Halt as Union Launches Indefinite Partial Strike

The doctoral program operations at Seoul Science and Technology Graduate School (aSSIST) face the threat of grinding to a halt. The aSSIST Chapter of the Democratic General Labor Union Seoul Headquarters announced on the 13th that it will launch an indefinite partial strike at the Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology.

The union made four claims in its statement. First, despite some staff suffering from overtime exceeding 100 hours per month, the school has neglected to address staffing shortages. Second, the union sent 15 negotiation requests, all of which were ignored, and meanwhile department head dismissals have been issued recklessly. Third, as a result, academic decision-making has been paralyzed, infringing on students' learning rights. Fourth, there are allegations that regarding a campus sexual harassment incident, the victim was not informed of the handling results, and false reports were submitted to higher authorities. The union warned that if the school continues to refuse dialogue, it will escalate to a full general strike. The union's claims regarding sexual harassment handling represent the union's unilateral position thus far, and the facts have not been independently verified.

Enrolled students who pay tuition and are pursuing degree programs have become direct victims of the dispute between the school and the union. Concerns have been raised that if the strike prolongs, disruptions to academic schedules—including thesis reviews and class operations—are inevitable, as the Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, the target of the strike, is the organization responsible for doctoral program academic administration.

The conflict did not emerge suddenly. The union's strike vote passed with 87.7% in favor, and previously, internal strife surrounding allegations of school "privatization" involving the family of Cho Dong-seong, the head of the development advisory committee, and suspicions of academic fraud have been reported multiple times. This statement represents that accumulated conflict has now manifested before students' eyes.